We are pleased to announce that the President’s day will take place again this year, on 15th July. All are welcome to come and enjoy the day, featuring a 40 over game and a hog roast in the evening (£5 p/h).

The world cup final will also be shown on the big screen in the evening.

Last year’s event was a real success, with a good game and the chance to see some old faces. Come down and enjoy the day!

Brewers recent good form was ended on Saturday by an inspired performance from young St Cross all-rounder Harry Came. He was instrumental with both bat and ball as the visitors came out on top in another run fest at the JCG.

Things did not start well for the Brewers as in the warm up they lost in form opening bowler Ben Mortimer to a hamstring pull. Luckily the team sheet was not in so he was replaced by Michael Salmon. The visitors then won the toss and elected to bat on what looked like a fantastic surface.

The returning Dann Scott took on new ball responsibilities with Toby Salmon as the pair looked for the early breakthrough. Both started well but it was Salmon in particular who was causing the St Cross skipper plenty of issues. Myers chopped and changed his attack and it was Ballinger who made the breakthrough, Young edging to Myers at slip St Cross 25 for 1. Came joined skipper Foyle, Scott found the edge of Came early on but the Brewers failed to take their chance. Things continued to go against Alton as overseas Marais pulled his thigh in the field restricting his movement considerably.

Foyle survived Salmon’s fantastic opening spell but looking to attack Myers was soon the second man out Michael Salmon making no mistake under the high ball as Foyle was dismissed for 44 with the score on 69. Ballinger soon got his second Stokes sweeping in the air to deep square where Mark Heffernan took the catch St Cross 88 for 3.

Mead joined Came and from this point on the visitors took control. The pair built a match winning partnership of 187 as the Brewers were made to toil. The pair barely gave a chance as they both moved to mile stones Came completed a fantastic century and Mead past 50. When Mead holed out off Myers for 70 St Cross were in a commanding position at 272 for 4. Came moved past 150 before being finally dismissed by Ballinger for 151 off 162 balls. Alton took one more wicket as Hammond completed a great leg side stumping off Myers but St Cross continued to bat on as thy moved past 300, eventually declaring after 63.5 overs on 305 for 6.

With Marais unable to run skipper Myers decided to give him the opportunity to get the Brewers off to a flyer. Marais did not disappoint as he and Michael Heffernan took the attack to the St Cross attack. The pair put on 71 in quick time before Heffernan fell to Bransgrove for 24. Hammond continued in the same vein as he raced to 40. Marais passed 50 as the home side made it to tea on 126 for 1 off just 19 overs.

After tea the tide turned St Cross fought back, Hammond edged behind off Mitchell in the first over after tea. Then Harris became Cames first victim trapping him in front for 13 Alton 155 for 3. When Marais followed soon after also LBW off Came for a fine 73 Alton had slipped to 162 for 4.

The wickets continued to come for Came. Myers made 25 before miscuing to mid-wicket. Alton passed 200 but when Mark Heffernan and Hugo Hammond went in quick succession Came had 5 wickets to his name and Alton were 208 for 7. Some lusty blows from Michael Salmon who made a spirited 37 not out edged Alton nearer the winning draw total but with plenty of overs left Came was not finished he took 2 more wickets to end with figures of 7 for 52 before Ballinger was the last man out off Ayers as Alton slumped to 249 all out.

Alton will look to bounce back as they face Hampshire Academy twice in two days. They travel to the Ageas bowl on Saturday in the league before beginning the defence of their T20 title at home on Sunday – 3pm start.

Cromer is our base for the Norfolk tour and it is a small seaside town on the coast with a famous pier and a lot of seafood restaurants as well as the usual fish and chips and pubs! It is a small town, probably half way between Alton and Farnham in size. There will be a lot of holidaymakers there. You can walk easily from one end of the town to the other and to the cricket club. No risk of dying of thirst in any direction either, Cromer is well served with bars.

Cromer Cricket Club runs two Saturday teams. The 1st XI play in the Premier Division of the Norfolk Alliance and the 2nd XI are in Division 5. The first team have struggled a little this season but are still above the drop zone and the overall level is good. Div 5 of the Alliance isn’t too bad either. They host an annual cricket week which by all accounts is well supported and we have the honour of having the Tuesday game.

This may well be the sternest test of the tour but the setting is very attractive and it is a well run club. Victory here will be something to remember!

13 x I’Anson Brewers win first time pennant game.
In a week which nearly saw Shalford concede with limited availability, the new facility to loan players was used in a way that was probably never probably envisaged, but which steeps back to the origins of the friendly game. Alton loaned two players to their opposition Shalford (ex-skipper Lewis Jones and debutant Gautum Palmer) solving their own conundrum in the process, how to get a couple more colts in the team that is designed to foster the development of the younger players. Nathan Vincent and Sam Crook joined the ever-present duo of Gemma Porter and Amelia Marshall to make up a quartet of young prospects in the Alton ranks.

Stand-in skipper Critchell chose to bat first for Shalford and the openers Smith and Lidster looked to set themselves for a long knock. Vincent with the honour of opening the bowling from the railway end proceeded to bowl 30 consecutive dot balls to Smith to start the game, which surely must be some sort of record! He was replaced by Crook (jnr) and then Porter (jnr) to make it an all-out spin attack from that end. In the 21 overs they bowled a combined 3-67 (with Porter picking up the wickets).

The senior duo of Porter (snr) and Van der Linde had remarkably similar combined figures from the skate park end with 3-62, keeping Shalford pegged back to 133/6 at the break. Only Lidster (63) and Reed (24) showed any real resistance to the Alton attack. On a wicket that was hard and true it seemed that 133 was not enough and combined with the lack of front line bowling in the Shalford team, that proved to be the case. Alton knocked of the runs in 15.3 overs – an opening stand of 63 between skipper Green and Crook (snr) was broken by Palmer’s first wicket cleaning up Crook who left a ball that cut back and took his off stump. Green (55*) was then joined by Marshall (25*) and the duo quickly finished off the chase. In a game played in a friendly spirit, it was the spirit of cricket that won – the loan system used to great affect; getting the game on and getting the colts playing!

After last week’s superb performance against a strong South Wilts side, Alton gathered early at Jubilee for the first all day game of the season down in the New Forest against a New Milton side that had been struggling to find any form this year.

Myers won the toss and with the inclement weather that had been around during the week decided to have a bowl. The opening paring of Ben Mortimer and Toby Salmon instantly found their line and length on what was looking like a slow pitch. Mortimer in particular, was proving to be unplayable as the New Milton batsman were starved of any runs. New Milton moved onto 21 without loss after 10 overs, despite giving Alton 2 changes that weren’t taken. Salmon then removed 2 batsmen in 2 balls, both wickets sharply taken in the slip cordon by Myers and Marais. Mortimer then got rewarded for what was proving to be an excellent spell of quick and hostile bowling as opening batsman Tom Arnold gloved a rising delivery to Harris at 1st slip. Harris was in the game once again as an ill-advised 2nd run from Lee Beck saw him run out and New Milton were in trouble at 33-4.

Alton didn’t let up, and Mortimer continued to make in roads removing the next 2 New Milton batsman with quick, short pitched deliveries that were both caught by fielders in close under the helmet. Gonella was thrown the ball and took a wicket with his first ball to reduce New Milton to 53-7. A gutsy partnership before lunch between Steve Watts and George Watts took some time out of the game but due to the tight bowling and slow nature of the pitch the scoring rate never got above 2 runs per over.

Alton knew at lunch that anything over 100 could be a tricky chase with the nature of the pitch and the slow outfield.

Alton continued to keep it tight after lunch before Ballinger got the break through to remove Steve Watts, a fine catch from Mark Heffernan in close. Salmon was brought back into the attack and instantly picked up the wicket of the dangerous George Watts, caught behind by Hugo Hammond. Ballinger then picked up the final wicket to leave Alton needing to chase 83 form a minimum of 74 overs. Overall a superb bowling performance, in particular from Ben Mortimer and Toby Salmon both finishing with 3 wickets each.

New Milton had to attack in the field, and Alton knew if they got off to a quick start it would be difficult for New Milton to contain them. Alex Hammond got off to flyer, striking 7 boundaries in scoring 36 off 24 balls, before getting out with the score on 38. Dan Harris then came in and took over from where Hammond left off scoring 38* from 25 balls, both batsman brutal on anything short. Gonella then finished the game with a cover drive for 4, and Alton had polished off the total in 13.1 overs, before tea.

Aldborough are doing well so far in 2018 and are third in Division 4 North of the Norfolk Cricket League. 8 Miles south of Cromer they play on the village green in this attractive part of Norfolk and the changing rooms are apparently in the Pub!

Hopefully this will be a good start to the tour with enough challenge to keep our focus going, then its back to Cromer for the evening.